It was mission accomplished for the Spring Hill College softball team as the Badgers successfully defended their SIAC Softball Tournament Championship with a win over Fort Valley State in the winner-take-all final game. Spring Hill completed the three-peat by winning the rematch of last year's SIAC Tournament final and became only the second school to win three SIAC Tournament Championships in a row, joining Tuskegee who did it in the mid-2010s.

Spring Hill's bats were held in check by the Wildcats in the first game of the day as the Badgers had just one hit in the 4-1 defeat. But coach Hannah Filmore made a few adjustments, moving Meadow Villar to the leadoff spot, sliding Janci Aube into the two hole, and pushing Oscha Carter into a table-setting spot in the bottom third of the lineup to take advantage of her speed, just to name a few. The moves paid off as Spring Hill scored 10 runs, their most of any game in the tournament, on 14 hits and six walks.

Villar was 2-for-2 with three runs scored in the leadoff position and Aube, sitting behind her, was 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Jesslyn Gordon led the team with three RBI and Bethany Ahrens, hitting clean up, was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Destiny Pierce and Molly Pitts each had two hits and an RBI, Amanda Glowacki had an RBI walk, and Kayla Coley-Drayton had a pinch-hit home run in her lone plate appearance.

Emma Curry, who had pitched well to close out the first game of the day, earned the win, allowing four earned runs and striking out 5 in 5.1 innings pitched. She was dealing through the first five innings, but Fort Valley State tagged her for a couple of home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning that chased her from the game. Leighanna Turk came on in relief, worked out of the sixth inning and then closed the door in the seventh to pick up the save.

Spring Hill were the visitors in this contest and it worked in their favor as, like Fort Valley State did in the first game, they took an early lead. Villar was hit by a pitch to open the game and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Aube wasn't given anything to hit as she drew a four-pitch walk, then another wild pitch allowed both runners to advance. Gordon gave the ball a good ride but it resulted in a sacrifice fly with Villar scoring to put Spring Hill up 1-0. Ahrens walked, but Aube was thrown out at third trying to steal, and then a fly out ended the inning with only a one-run advantage.

As mentioned before, Curry was dealing, but after that first inning, Fort Valley State's pitcher had settled in and the teams moved right through the third inning with no change in the score.

In the top of the fourth, however, Spring Hill got some offense going with two outs and doubled their lead. Carter legged out a bunt single, then used her speed to steal second. A pivotal move as Pitts singled to left field and Carter beat the throw home, making it a 2-0 game.

The Wildcats got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, but Spring Hill answered with a pair of runs in the fifth to increase their lead to 4-1. Alli Mangan came in to run for Villar after Villar led off the inning with a single and Mangan stole second to get into scoring position. Aube laid down the sac bunt to get Mangan over to third and then Gordon singled to right to score Mangan. Ahrens followed with a double and McKenzie King walked to load the bases. Glowacki didn't bite on the 3-2 offering, drawing the walk to bring in Gordon and give the Badgers the 4-1 advantage.

The lead grew for Spring Hill in the sixth as Ahrens ripped a two-RBI single, scoring Villar and Aube, but that five-run lead was short-lived as Fort Valley State used the long ball in the bottom of the sixth to get right back into the game. A two-run shot and a solo home run, coming within three batters, forced Curry out of the game and left Spring Hill up by just two with one inning to go.

Looking to spark the offense to create some more distance, Coach Filmore pinch hit Kayla Coley-Drayton to lead off the inning. All Coley-Drayton did was deliver a momentum-swinging home run, roping a line drive over the right-center field fence to make it 7-4. Pitts singled, and Abigail Christ ran for her, swiping second base to move into scoring position. Pierce doubled to the wall, scoring Christ, and maintaining the pressure with the top of the lineup coming. Fort Valley State walked Villar to set up a force play, but that never came to be as Aube hit a towering fly ball to left field. The ball kept slicing away from the left fielder and ended up hitting the fence where the portable foul pole was positioned, leading the ball to carom away from the left fielder and into left center field. The double scored Pierce and moved Villar to third as the runners held to make sure it was not caught. Gordon then hit an RBI groundout to make it 10-4 with just three outs for the championship.

Fort Valley State did lead off the bottom of the seventh with a single, but a pair of fly outs and then a pop up to Villar at third took care of business and sent the Badgers into celebration mode.

Ahrens was named the 2026 SIAC Softball Tournament Most Valuable Player after going 2-1 with a 1.56 ERA and 15 strikeouts across 18 innings pitched and batting 5-for-12 with 5 walks and 5 RBI. Her 5 RBI all came against Fort Valley State, with her 2 RBI single in the winner's bracket final being the difference in that game and her 2 RBI single in the championship final giving Spring Hill much needed insurance in the sixth inning.

Ahrens was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Aube, Pierce, Gordon, and Carter, all of whom caused teams fits all week. Whether it was wreaking havoc on the basepaths, being difficult outs, or flashing the leather in the field, each were at the top of their game in leading Spring Hill to their fourth overall SIAC Tournament Championship.

The Badgers have earned an automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Division II Softball Championship. They will find out their path during the selection show on Monday, May 11th at 10 a.m.